A Place To Find Love
by SnapeFreak4everrr
Summary: Hagrdi reported back to Dumbledore the awful conditions he was in at the Dursleys. Heartbroken, Dumbledore sends Harry to a place to find love. Alternate reality fic. Parents Alive. Abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – Searching For a Place**

"He's so young to be out by himself. You're sure no one was with him, and no one has reported him missing?" Lily asked staring at the small boy in the Hospital Wing bed.

"No I checked with the ministry. Poppy has informed me the sleeping potions you gave him should wear off soon", Dumbledore replied.

"Hey Lils you didn't meet me at The Three Broomsticks is something wrong?" James asked throwing open the door carelessly and wincing at the sound it made.

"I'm so sorry James, I forgot", she explained barely taking her eyes off the small, prone figure. There was something about him she couldn't place. And something inside herself that wanted her to stay.

"What happened?" He asked only now noticing the sleeping child.

"This child was found near Hagrid's cabin in very bad shape", Albus informed him.

"Bad shape?" James asked unsure what he meant.

"Abuse seems most likely. His injuries appear to be over time. And… and no ones looking for him", Lily finished, her voice beginning to break.

"Lily-", James began but was interrupted when the figure on the bed groaned.

Poppy was by him in a heartbeat. "Hello little one can you hear me?" She asked gentler than James had thought was even possible for the stern woman. Lily breathed a sigh of relieve when they nodded his head marginally.

"What age are you honey?" She asked, picking up a quill to make notes for the Aurors if necessary.

"11 ma'am", the boy croaked.

Poppy's eyebrows shot up at this. She asked some more questions whilst handing Lily her parchment.

Nutrition Potion – Very Malnourished

Lily nodded and got it from the stores. On her way back in she heard Poppy's next question.

"What's your name, little one?"

"Harry Potter".

The potion fell from Lily's hand. James let out a yell of protest. "How dare you?"

He hand his wand out and aimed at Harry before Harry could even begin to understand what was happening. His eyes looked around in alarm before focusing on a red haired woman behind the angry looking man.

Then his view turned black as a red light hit him.

She couldn't believe what the boy had just said. She was prepared to deny it when his scared green eyes snapped to her.

Those eyes. She knew those eyes. Her baby's eyes. Oh her baby boy.

She was about to reach forward and embrace him when she stopped to scream, as her husband shot a stunner at their child.

"James!" She screeched running to the boy on the bed.

"Lily it's a Death Eater or something", James growled.

"It's Harry!" she shouted back.

"Harry's dead!" James shouted, angry that this thing had made his wife doubt what she knew, what she had accepted.

"I know he did, but it's him", she cried.

Albus walked to the unconscious boy, previously just watching what had occurred. He noticed a note, just peeking out of the boy's pocket.

Not a note, he corrected himself as he read it, a letter. To himself.

Dumbledore scanned the note whilst the couple continued shouting at each other. Dumbledore finished the letter smiling.

"Madame Pomfrey, would you be so kind as to retrieve some veritaserum for me?" He said, and the elder nurse complied.

"Good, we can see who he is", said James harshly, and Lily glared back.

"Oh I have no doubt as to who he is", Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

Before James could question the headmaster any further the matron had returned with a vial of colourless liquid. She paused before she administered it.

"I suppose I don't even need to tell you how unethical I think this is given the child's state", she said but poured it into the boys mouth regardless.

His eyes opened but were glassy and glazed indicating that the potion had worked.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked. Lily gripped the boy's hand tightly. Please, oh please let it be him.

"Harry James Potter".

Everything was silent for a moment. "It didn't work", James said turning around.

"It did James", Lily said tears flowing down her face.

"How? How could that be m-my son? How when my child died almost ten years ago?"

"Locus ut Reperio Diligo", Dumbledore said, as if it explains everything. "After my sister died", Albus's face turned very sad, "I explored a way to bring her back. In y research I found Locus ut Reperio Diligo, which directly translated means 'A Place to Find Love'".

James and Lily were both watching Dumbledore intensely, whilst Madame Pomfrey tended to Harry, putting him back to sleep.

"This letter", he showed them the paper he had taken from Harry's pocket, "Is from another world's Albus Dumbledore". Lily and James started at that.

"He informed me of a less than ideal life that Harry here has led", he said Harry's name adoringly, as though he had cared for this boy his whole life, "And felt responsible for the child's situation".

'That is why he is here", he finished.

"Did we treat him this way? Did we hurt him?" Lily asked terrified.

Dumbledore shook his head, "I'm afraid that Harry here never knew the joys of having you as a mother. It was you and James who died on Halloween, not Harry", he explained, "Harry went to live with your sister".

"Petunia", breathed Lily betrayed.

"It's not true!" James shouted.

"Sorry", came a small voice and James swung around angrily to face the boy on the bed.

When he did he froze.

Lilys eyes. Harry's eyes.

Harry?


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't understand", Harry said shakily.

James sighed in exasperation. After everything that had happened his nerves where frayed, and the child just wasn't getting. A voice inside his head criticised him. _You didn't believe it or understand and you've had your whole life in the magical world. He's been aware of it, according to Dumbledore for about four days._

Harry swallowed a lump in his throat when the man - his dad? - put his head in hands in frustration. _Why did he keep saying the wrong things? He should have just said 'Ok, you're right', but no he just had to keep whining and making the man angry._

"I-I mean I understand but I just can't take it in", he said hoping that was a better answer.

It was apparently as the man - his dad - nodded and the woman - his mum - smiled.

"Well that is very understandable", said Albus as he came out of Poppy's office, "But for now I assume you have great many questions".

Harry looked between the adults, who were all staring back at him expectantly. Harry fumbled through his thoughts. _Questions? I've never had to ask questions before! All the times I had questions and wasn't allowed to ask them and now, I have no questions and have to ask one?_

"Uh - um", he said desperately, "Where do I stay?" He finally pushed out. _There that wasn't such a bad question. In fact that was a pretty good question._

The adults looked at him in shock. _Or not. What was wrong with that question? Was it an obvious answer he hadn't realised? Was he going back to the Dursleys?_

"You'll be staying with us", his mum said taking his hand, and he was surprised by the tentative gesture, "You're our - our son". Her face broke into a huge smile when she said that.

"Do you want to see our home?" James asked looking at the boy whose eyes held nothing but fear when looking at him. As if you didn't give him reason. You find out he was abused and then curse him when he talks? Of course he's scared.

Harry looked to Lily for guidance. Did he want to see their home? She nodded.

Harry nodded, "Yeah".

"We'll go by floo", said James standing up. He offered his hand to help Harry up, and Harry had to fight a flinch at the hand. After a few seconds James realised Harry wasn't going to take it and dropped his hand.

"What's flu?" Asked Harry.

"Floo", Lily corrected, "It wizard transportation through the fireplace. It will spin around a lot and might feel a bit sick when we get through but it's the fastest way".

Harry nodded, still unsure.

"Since it's your first floo travel and you're not keyed into our wards once of us will go with you", James said and went to the fireplace. It was obvious, even to him that Harry trusted Lily more than him, and probably rightly so.

Harry walked to the fireplace, and Lily winced when she noticed he still had a slight limp.

Xx - x Xx - x Xx - x Xx - xX

One thing Harry was absolutely sure of, he hated floo travel. Even with Lily holding him tightly he still went stumbling out of the fireplace and crashed to the ground. He fought a gasp as his ribs ached. Madam Pomfrey explained, even though she healed him he would be tender for a while. But Harry didn't mind, this was the best he had felt in years.

Harry shied away when James lifted him to his feet.

"Blimey it's late", James commented when he realised when he noticed the clock on the wall was pointed to 'past bedtime'.

True enough, looking at his real watch he noticed it was after midnight.

"We should get you settled", said James and Lily nodded, "Are you hungry at all?" He asked looking at the scrawny little boy who could have been his clone.

Harry shook his head, if anything he felt queasy, whether that was from the floo or just being in a totally new place. And he had no clue how things worked here, he didn't know what the rules were. Were they the same as at his aunt's and uncle's?

"Okay, let's go see your room", Lily said taking Harry's hand. Harry was shocked by this, why on earth would his mum want to take his hand? Didn't she know he was a freak? A burden? Harry sighed, it wouldn't be long before they figured it out and he would be back at the Dursleys before he could say 'I'm sorry'.

They were up the stairs before Harry even realised it. His dad walked past the first door. "This is our room", he said and Harry nodded. He knew what that meant, 'Stay out of there or you'll get your ass beat'.

"This is the bathroom", he said indicating to the open door. Harry's mouth fell open when he saw it. It was HUGE! The bath wasn't even a bath it was a swimming pool with like twenty taps.

"And this is your room", James said pushing open the door.

Harry went into complete shock. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. It was bigger than Dudley's first and second bedrooms put together. There was a big bed and it even had a blanket and pillows too. There was a big dresser and a desk and bookshelf filled with books over at the side of the room. But this was not what made it spectacular, it was the view. Even in the dark of night it was clear how incredible it was. They were obviously in the country because the house was surrounded by fields of unowned land. The garden was so big and Harry's triple window, with window seat was overlooking a beautiful garden.

His arms ached briefly, it would take him three days to tend that garden and just as he would finish it would be time to start all over again. Not to mention all of his other chores. But it would be worth it just to be in a garden that pretty.

Harry hadn't even noticed Lily had left the room until she returned holding pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt. "These are your dads but I'll shrink them down for you tonight".

Harry nodded, used to being in cast-offs and was thoroughly surprised when his mum shrunk them down to fit him.

"Thank you", he said sincerely.

Lily smiled and pat his hair down, "Tomorrow we'll go shopping to sort out this room", she smiled.

Harry looked around confused. What was wrong with this room, it was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. Was that what was wrong? It was too nice for him. But why would his mum go out of her way to buy more things just so they would be worse quality?

Harry shook his head and smiled at his parents, as his mother kissed him on the cheek and his father patted him on the shoulder. that was the closest thing he had ever gotten to a tuck into bed. He felt strangely warm and fuzzy.

Xx - x Xx - x Xx - x Xx - xX

"I don't like it Lils", James said when he and his wife were in bed.

Lily looked at him betrayed, "You don't want Harry here?"

"No", he shook his head, "I don't like that my son is terrified of me, of us".

Lily nodded, it was one thing she had never wanted as a mother, and that was for her child to flinch in her presence. It hurt the Potters that night going to sleep, knowing their son was just up the hall, probably terrified and in pain.


End file.
